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Boston officials tracking threat against LA and NYC schools, but not aware of any threat here

NYC dismissed threat as a hoax

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Updated: 7:04 PM EST Dec 15, 2015

Boston officials tracking threat against LA and NYC schools, but not aware of any threat here

NYC dismissed threat as a hoax

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Updated: 7:04 PM EST Dec 15, 2015

BOSTON —

Boston officials say they are aware of the threat that caused Los Angeles schools to shut down Tuesday, but received no similar threats against any local facilities.

Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said that his department's intelligence unit became aware of the threat involving Los Angeles schools overnight, and followed the developments throughout the day. New York received a similar threat, Evans added, but officials there determined it was not credible.

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"All day long we've been in contact on national conference calls with all our intelligence partners," Evans said.

While officials in New York City said the threat came in the form of a "generic" email to many cities around the country, both Evans and Mayor Martin Walsh said that Boston was never included in the threats.

"At this time we have no reason to think there are any threats toward Boston or our schools or our agencies," Walsh said.

Walsh and Evans both emphasized that the safety of students and staff is a top priority for the city.

Los Angeles is the nation's second-largest school district. It decided to shut down Tuesday after a school board member received an emailed threat that raised fears of another attack like the deadly shooting in nearby San Bernardino.

The shutdown abruptly closed more than 900 public schools and 187 charter schools attended by 640,000 students across Los Angeles.

Superintendent Ramon Cortines said every campus would be searched, and he asked for a report on the searches certifying that all buildings are safe.